The United States Chamber of Commerce has filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s new $100,000 fee on H-1B visa petitions, arguing that the charge violates federal law.

In the suit, the Chamber contends that the administration’s rule conflicts with the Immigration and Nationality Act, which requires visa fees to reflect the actual administrative costs incurred by the government in processing applications.

Announcing the legal action, the Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer of the Chamber, Neil Bradley, said the organisation is committed to ensuring that immigration policy supports U.S. competitiveness rather than undermines it.

“The new $100,000 visa fee will make it cost-prohibitive for U.S. employers, especially start-ups and small and midsize businesses, to utilize the H-1B program, which was created by Congress expressly to ensure that American businesses of all sizes can access the global talent they need to grow their operations here in the U.S.

“President Trump has embarked on an ambitious agenda of securing permanent pro-growth tax reforms, unleashing American energy, and unraveling the overregulation that has stifled growth. The Chamber and our members have actively backed these proposals to attract more investment in America. To support this growth, our economy will require more workers, not fewer.

“The president deserves credit for securing our nation’s border. With the border secure, we now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to accomplish targeted legal immigration reforms, and we stand ready to work with Congress and the administration to make that happen. That includes working together on common-sense reforms to improve the visa process for skilled workers. The president has said he wants to educate, attract, and retain the world’s best and brightest in the U.S., and the Chamber shares that goal,” the Chamber said in a statement.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce leverages advocacy and litigation to influence public policy and routinely invests resources to promote an environment conducive to U.S. investment and job creation.

During the first Trump administration, the Chamber won several court cases overturning federal actions that curtailed employers’ ability to use congressionally authorized immigration programs.